


Three Petals

by aretia



Series: Holiday Gifts 2018 [3]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Marriage Proposal, Multi, season 8 inspired
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-09-26 19:04:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17147378
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aretia/pseuds/aretia
Summary: Matt wants to make his proposal to Shiro and Allura special with a traditional Altean floral arrangement, so he enlists the help of the best gardener on the Atlas--his mom.





	Three Petals

**Author's Note:**

  * For [burrsir](https://archiveofourown.org/users/burrsir/gifts).



Matt lingered by the door of the greenhouse, where his mom stood in front of one of the cases of plants, holding a clipboard. He hesitated to approach, as he knew how engrossed she could get in her work, and didn’t want to interrupt her. Then, she glanced over at the doorway and waved to him. Since he didn’t have time to duck into the hallway and make it look like he hadn’t been loitering, he waved back. “Hi, Mom,” he said as he walked into the room. 

“Hello, Matt,” she greeted him. “What are you doing up so late?”

Matt flinched. He had been fighting with a rebel alliance in space for years, but as soon as he got home, she slid right back into the mom routine. It felt like home; he wouldn’t have it any other way. “Actually, I was wondering if I could ask for your help with something,” he said. 

“Sure. What is it?” Colleen asked, her eyes returning to her clipboard.

“You did a really nice job with those juniberries there,” Matt said, pointing to the plants in the case. Three pink petals surrounded a yellow center, each petal with a lighter pink chevron marking across it, like the Altean cheek marks. 

“Thank you,” Colleen said, brushing her fingers against the glass. “I take it that has something to do with what you wanted to ask me about?”

“Yes, actually,” Matt said. “I wanted to ask if you could make more of these flowers. Like, a lot more. I know they’re a lot of work and all, but…”

“Now that I’ve got the genetic sequence down, it shouldn’t be that hard to grow them on a larger scale,” Colleen said. “What do you need them for?”

“Well, um…” Matt mumbled, reaching his hand up behind his head to twist his fingers in his ponytail. “This might be a bit of a surprise to you, but Shiro, Allura, and I are dating. We have been for a couple of years now. Sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”

“Oh, don’t you think for a moment that you managed to hide that from me,” Colleen said with a sly smile. “I’ve seen the way you three look at each other. You’ve had a crush on Shiro since back when you went on that mission together.” When Matt looked scandalized, she added, “Don’t pretend that I didn’t know about that, either. And Allura? She’s beautiful, and kind, and a great leader like you and Shiro. You’ve got yourself two real keepers.”

“Thanks, Mom,” Matt muttered, already blushing from the bottom of his chin to the tips of his ears. “Now that I know you know all my secrets, can I get to the point?”

“Oh, I thought that was the point,” said Colleen, laughing. “But yes.”

“Okay.” Matt took a deep breath. “I want the juniberry flowers so that I can propose to Shiro and Allura.”

Colleen covered her mouth, holding back a small gasp. “My… I didn’t realize that you were that serious,” she said.

“Well, I am,” Matt said, bristling a little bit, crossing his arms. “I mean, we are. Did you want me to ask for your permission first?”

“No, no, that’s not what I meant,” Colleen insisted, placing her hand on Matt’s arm. “I just want to make sure that you aren’t rushing into this just because we’re in the middle of a war. I want to be sure that you really want this.”

“Of course I do,” said Matt. “I’ve thought about it for a long time, and this is what I want.”

“Then that’s all I need,” Colleen said with a smile. “What can I do to help you?”

“I want enough juniberry flowers to form a wreath in the shape of a heart. I’ll take care of the rings and everything else,” Matt said, grinning.

“Coming right up,” Colleen replied, jotting something down on her clipboard. She reached into the case and pulled out one of the juniberry flowers, which was growing in its own pot. She handed the flower to Matt. “Anything else? There are so many flowers from Earth that you could use. Why just the juniberries?”

“I’ve been reading up on the history of Altea in the archives that Coran saved from the Castle of Lions,” Matt said. “Apparently, marriages between three people were way more common on Altea than they are on Earth. Juniberries were used for weddings because of the three petals, representing the three people in the relationship, how no one is complete without the others. I think Allura will appreciate that nod to her culture. Plus having a piece of the Altean landscape will make her feel at home.”

He turned the juniberry plant around in his hand, gently lifting one of the petals with his finger. “And these juniberries that you made are like a fusion of Altea and Earth. They bloomed again after ten thousand years, so they represent resilience. That part is for Shiro.”

Colleen wiped tears from the corners of her eyes. “That’s beautiful,” she said. “I hope they know how much thought you put into this.”

“That’s why I wanted to do this for them,” said Matt. “Shiro and Allura are so amazing. They deserve each other, but I sometimes feel like I don’t deserve them. So I wanted to do something big so that I can be enough for them… But _you’re_ the one who made the juniberry flowers, not me. So I can’t even take credit for this.”

“Matt,” Colleen said, enfolding him in a tight hug that squeezed a few tears out of his eyes, too. “This is _your_ idea, inspired by _your_ love for them. Of course you can take the credit for it. Of course you are enough. Shiro and Allura love you for who you are.” Matt buried his face in her shoulder, hugging her tighter. “And I am so proud of you.”


End file.
